Many of the children who get Hib infections become very ill and need treatment with antibiotics in hospital.

Meningitis is the most severe illness caused by Hib and, even with treatment, one in every 20 children with Hib meningitis will die. Of those who do survive, many will have long-term problems such as hearing loss, seizures and learning disabilities.

How is Hib spread?

Hib bacteria can live in the nose and throat of healthy people and usually do not cause any symptoms.

The bacteria are usually spread in a similar way to cold and flu viruses – through the droplets of fluid in the coughs and sneezes. The bacteria can be spread by healthy people who carry the bacteria, as well as those who are ill with a Hib infection.

Inhaling these infected droplets, or transferring them into your mouth from a contaminated surface, can allow the bacteria to spread further into your body and cause one of the infections mentioned above.

Hib vaccination

Vaccinating children against Hib has been very successful in cutting rates of Hib infections. From more than 800 confirmed cases a year in England in the early 1990s, the number of Hib infections has now fallen to fewer than 20 cases a year.